Joist brace



w. c. oRvE JOI ST B'RACE Filed may 2S. w25

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 \f 2 William Georgen,

Inn-umn Dec. 7 192,6. 1,609,699

w. c. coRY-ELL.

JOI ST BRACE Filed may 23. 1925 5 sx-.==etssmml 2 Mnvzsssal i a 007 ell,Y ,g I" QQUL y I fitto: "mi

Palmera nee. 7, 1926,Y

U'Nlrsn STATES racetea- PATENT OFFICE.

'WILLIAM C. CORYELL, OF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, BY IllESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO TRUSCON STEEL COMPANY, F YUNI. STOWN, OHIO, ACORPORATION OF MICHIC- GAN.

JOIST B12/ACE;

Application flied May 2s, 1925. .serial No. 33,532.

This invention relates to a novel and practical improvement in joistbraces or bridging for holding floor. joist-s inr proper spaced relationand also reinforcing the floor construction.

In its general aspect the present invention contemplates a bracethatwill eliect conL siderable economy in the quantity of blank stock used,thereby not only enhancing the invention from a commercial standpointbut also y providing a lighter brace whose strength and rigidity. remainunimpaired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a joist brace includingbrace members connected by an integral tie piece, and: formed from asingle blank, and in which the tie piece has sutlicient iiexibilitywithin itselic to permit some horizontal Jlireedom as well as verticalfreedom of movement in the two crossing brace members. This feature hasthe advantage Vof permittingV a wider range of selection of the pointsoi-v attachs ment` for the ends of the brace members thereby toadequately provide for varying conditions of installation, such forlexample.

as when the joists are warped or slightly out of position, or when it isdesiredy to have one member of the brace occupy relatively obliqueposition with reference to the other, or when the point of attachment isunsuitable for receiving the fastening for secur' ing the brace inposition. An instance of the latter is where, in connection with woodenjoists, a knot hole or other defect exists.

A further object of the invention is to provide a brace of the charactersetlforth which may be formed with one or more tie pieces located awayfrom the center or crossing pofnt of the brace members, therebymaterially contributing to the strength of the brace at. the center,where it properly should'beV the. strengest..l In that connection. thepresent type of brace leaves it possible to obtain a maximum radius oigyration for a certain distance alongthe Center, which in turn willpermit the maximum strength to be obtained as. a: column..

Vilthtlie aboveand other; objects in view which will morereadily appearasthe. nature 0.1"; the; invention, is: better understood;thesarneconsistsin tlienovel construction, combination and' arrangementof parts-here; inatterflnore fully; described-,..llnstrated-.and

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in theaccompanying drawings in which- Figure lis a view illustrating theapplication or" the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the improved j-oist brace shown inFig. l.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the. line 3 -3 'of Fig. 1

. Figure 4 is a plan view of a slitted blank from which the brace orFig. 2 is made.

Figure 5 isa plan view of a modified form of 4slitted blank.

F igure 6 is av perspective View of the brace formed from the blankshownV in Fig. 5.

Figure 7 is a plan view of a further modified form of blank.

Figure 8 isa perspective view or the brace formed from the blank shownvin Figure 7, wherein only one tie piece is used between the point oicrossing of the brace members and the ends thereof.

Figures 9 and ll are plan views showing further modified forms ofslitted blanks.

Figures l0 andl2 are perspective viewsV of the joist braces maderespectively Jfrom the blanks shown inV Figures 9. and ll.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several ligures ot the drawings.

AS previously indicated it is one of the objects of the presentinvention to provide a brace adapted for use in connection withjoist,-studding or other building elements which is not only lighter;provides a wider range of manipulation and adjustment in installing; butalso provides a stronger construction since the locati' on andarrangement of the tie piece avoids weakening at the center, therebypreventing any tendency of the brace members to buckle or bend at thispoint. Also the present type ot brace pro-V vides thenecessaryclearances to permit of, and facilitate, the installation of plumbing,wiring, gas pipes, etc. y Y Accordingly, with the above considerationsin View the present invention Yproe vides 21..)oistv brace ,which may beformed from blank sheet metal stock-material of suitable. gauge. anddesignated generally. as A; FigureA... This. blank.. A. isformedvvtlija. plurality of. longitudinally disposed slits?. Bal-icl.wlcliare-located out AOffluri mennen disal. ed, arldlarrangedn suitablylOG lnarrow bendable tie-pieces 3.`

spaced relation while the slits C may be united by a relatively shorttransverse slit D, thereby to form the bar-like brace members l and E2and the connectingl tongues or tie-pieces 3. The slits B which detinethe inner sides of the members l and 2 are located substantially at thecenter or central portion of the blanlr .ci and may be continuous ordiscontinuous, and the relatively short slits C which are usuallyarranged parallel-with the slits l are located between the said latterslits and the outer edges ot the brace members l. and 2. The ends ot themembers l and 2 are preferably termed with the perforated attaching earsi which may be bent into oilfset relation as shown in Figures l and i2thereby to facilitate the attachment ot the brace to the joist or otherstructural building element.

As will be obseri'ed from Figures l to fi inclusive the etlect ot thenovel slitting of the blank A, is to Yterm the brace members l and 2 andthe connectingtie-pieces 3 from a single metal blank whereby the saidmembers l and are integral with the relatively Also, the tie-pieces 3are relatively long and lie in a plane parallel to the plane oi movementwhiz h brings the brace members l and 2 into crossing relation.Theretore. in this construction the axes ot the tie-pieces 3 lie in aplane substantially parallel to the brace members l and 2 asdistiinijuished treni a tie piece whose axis occupies a relativelytransverse position with respect to the brace members. and has theadvantage ot permitting the location o the tie pieces away from thecent-cr of the brace. Furthermore, by reason of the relatively narrowand elongated characteristic of the tongues or tie pieces 8, it is notonly possible to move the brace members l and 2 in a vertical planeparallel to their inside cut edn'es but also to permit of the saidmembers beiney separated laterally, within reasonable limits. thereby topermit of the separation of the brace members in planes at right anglesto each other.

The function ot the tie pieces 3 is to hold the members l. and 2 inassembled relation during' shipping and handling preliminary toinstallation at the point ot use, and to hold the two braces together asa pair and therefore these members need be no stronger than necessary toserve as a connector or tie piece -for these members until they areready to be put in service. Ly making the tongues 3 which constitute thetie pieces relatively narrow and parallel with the members l and 2 aplurality of bending; points are provided, thereby avoiding the focusingot all of the bendingstrain at one point as in the case of brace membersconnected by a single intermediate web. That is to say, the bending ofthe tie pieces 3 is distributed to the points ai, g/ and .e (Fig. and inview of the relative narrowness of these tongues the bending is notnecessarily confined to axes located in the original flat plane ot theblank, but may also manifest itself in axes located at right angles tosaid plane thereto permit of the relative lateral separation ot' themembers for the purpose heretofore indicated.

From the foregoing' it will be apparent that the distinc ie feature otthe present invention resides in the provision ot a connectinjar tongueor tie piece located at one side ot the point of cossing ot the bracemember, that is between the point ot crossing' and the ends o; themembers, or near an end thereof. find, by way of illustrating the rangeof modification in which this teature of the invention may findembodiment, reiterence may be had to Figs. to 1Q inclusive of thedrawings which illustrate examples ot evcral oi' the different iorms ofembodiment.

ln Figures 5 and 6 the brace members l and 2 are termed `trom the blankA havine: the disalined longitudinal slits B and C which torni the tiepieces 31. In this embodiment the brace mei bers l and 2 may be providedwith the atta hing feetal-l as indicated.

Figures 7 and S show a brace comprisina` the members lb and 2b toi-med-from a blank 2 having the longitudinally disposed disalined slits B2and C2 and the attachingr end portions el. In this arrangement thesingle.

connecting; tie piece is located near the` ends ol the brace members,and has the advantage of permitting the brace members to cross at anyselected point between their ends.

Figures 9 and 10 show a device including the brace members le and 2Cformed from a blank f 3 by the disalined longitudinal slits B3 and C3thereby to form the connecting tie pieces 8C. This construction issubstantially the formation shown in Figures 'T and S but with the tiepieces 3C located near the oii'set attaching ends 4C at both ends ot thebrace members.

Figures l1 and 19. illustrate a further modification of the constructionii'ivolvingq the location of the tie pieces 3d near both ends of thebrace members 1d and 2d. The tie pieces and brace members in thisinstance are termed from the blank A4 of Figure ll by the disalinedlongitudinal slits B4 and C4 and the transverse slits Dt. rlherelatively short slits C in this form of the invention are somewhatobliquely disposed but nevertheless retain the characteristic of lyingbetween the relatively long longitudinal slit Bt, and the outer edge ofthe brace members.

llithont further description it is thought that the many features andadvantages of the invention will be readily apparent to .those skilledin the art and it will of course bey understood that changes in theform, proportion and minor details of construction, may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of theappended claims.

l claim:

l. A joist brace including brace members adapted to be brought intocrossing relation, and a tie piece uniting said members between thepoint of crossing and the ends thereof.

2. A joist brace including brace members adapted to be brought intocrossing relation and an integral tie piece` uniting' said membersbetween the point of crossing and the ends thereon 3. A joist braceincluding` brace members adapted to be brought into crossing relation,and lan integral tie piece presenting a plurality of bending points andlocated between the point of crossing oi said members and the endsthereof.

t. A joist brace including brace members, and an integral tie piececonnecting` said members, said tie piece consisting of a relatively thinmetal tongue located between the transverse center` and the end of saidmembers adapted to be bent 'to permit the brace members to be swung incrossing relation or separated laterally.

V5. A joist brace including two elongated members which cross at theirmid portions, and a tie-piece connecting said members between the pointof crossing and the ends, said members and tie-pieces being formed froma metal blank having disalined slits .formed between and substantiallyparallel with the outer sides of said members.

6. A joist brace including a pair of brace members crossing at their midportions, and a tie-piece connecting said members between the point ofcrossing and the ends, said members and tie-piece being formed Jfrom ablank having relatively long slits and shorter slits arranged betweensaid long slits andthe sidel edges of said members,

7. A joist brace formed from a single blank o sheet metal and having aplurality of longitudinally disposed and disalined slits, and elongatedbrace members and a connecting tie-piece formed by said slits, the saidtie-piece being located between the transverse center and the ends 01"'said brace members.

8. A brace including separable brace members formed from a common blankby partially longitudinally slitting the same and provided with terminalattaching means at their Vends, said brace members being adapted to betwisted into crossing rela-tion, and tie-piece connecting said membersnear one end.

9. A brace including separable brace members formed from a common blankby partially longitudinally slitting the same and provided with terminalattaching means at their ends, said brace members being adapted to betwisted into crossing relation, and a pair of tie-pieces connecting saidmembers adjacent their ends.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atlix my signature.

WILLIAM C. CORYELL.

